IRIS Spectra Data

IRIS Near Ultraviolet Spectrum containing the Mg II h and Mg II k spectral lines formed by single ionized Magnesium atoms in the solar chromosphere (bright vertical features), the region between the solar surface and the sun's outer atmosphere. The horizontal axis shows wavelength, with the vertical axis showing the spatial direction. The vertical black lines are spectral lines formed on the Sun's surface. These spectra are used to determine velocities and temperatures of the emitting gas for a range of heights from the surface of the Sun to several thousand kilometer above the Sun's surface. The horizontal yellow line shows the cut that is used to create the movie in the following image. Credit: Lockheed Martin Solar & Astrophysics Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA.